Microelectronic devices and methods for packaging microelectronic devices

ABSTRACT

Microelectronic devices and methods of packaging microelectronic devices are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes placing a plurality of singulated radiation responsive dies on a support member, electrically connecting circuitry of the radiation responsive dies to contacts of the support member, and forming a barrier on the support member between adjacent radiation responsive dies without an adhesive attaching the barrier to the support member. The barrier is formed on the support member after electrically connecting the circuitry of the dies to the contacts of the support member. The barrier can encapsulate at least a portion of the wire-bonds.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is related to microelectronic devices and methodsfor packaging microelectronic devices. In particular, the presentinvention is directed to microelectronic devices that include radiationresponsive dies.

BACKGROUND

Microelectronic devices are used in cell phones, pagers, personaldigital assistants, computers, and many other products. A die-levelpackaged microelectronic device can include a microelectronic die, aninterposer substrate or lead frame attached to the die, and a moldedcasing around the die. The microelectronic die generally has anintegrated circuit and a plurality of bond-pads coupled to theintegrated circuit. The bond-pads are coupled to terminals on theinterposer substrate or lead frame. The interposer substrate can alsoinclude ball-pads coupled to the terminals by traces in a dielectricmaterial. An array of solder balls is configured so that each solderball contacts a corresponding ball-pad to define a “ball-grid” array.Packaged microelectronic devices with ball-grid arrays are generallyhigher grade packages that have lower profiles and higher pin countsthan conventional chip packages that use a lead frame.

Packaged microelectronic devices are typically made by (a) forming aplurality of dies on a semiconductor wafer, (b) cutting the wafer tosingulate the dies, (c) attaching individual dies to an individualinterposer substrate, (d) wire-bonding the bond-pads to the terminals ofthe interposer substrate, and (e) encapsulating the dies with a moldingcompound. It is time consuming and expensive to mount individual dies toindividual interposer substrates. Also, as the demand for higher pincounts and smaller packages increases, it becomes more difficult to (a)form robust wire-bonds that can withstand the forces involved in moldingprocesses and (b) accurately form other components of die-level packageddevices. Therefore, packaging processes have become a significant factorin producing semiconductor and other microelectronic devices.

Another process for packaging microelectronic devices is wafer-levelpackaging. In wafer-level packaging, a plurality of microelectronic diesare formed on a wafer and then a redistribution layer is formed on topof the dies. The redistribution layer has a dielectric layer, aplurality of ball-pad arrays on the dielectric layer, and traces coupledto individual ball-pads of the ball-pad arrays. Each ball-pad array isarranged over a corresponding microelectronic die, and the ball-pads ineach array are coupled to corresponding bond-pads on the die by thetraces in the redistribution layer. After forming the redistributionlayer on the wafer, a stenciling machine deposits discrete blocks ofsolder paste onto the ball-pads of the redistribution layer. The solderpaste is then reflowed to form solder balls or solder bumps on theball-pads. After formation of the solder balls on the ball-pads, thewafer can be cut to singulate the dies. Microelectronic devices packagedat the wafer level can have high pin counts in a small area, but theyare not as robust as devices packaged at the die level.

Electronic products require packaged microelectronic devices to have anextremely high density of components in a very limited space. Forexample, the space available for memory devices, processors, displays,and other microelectronic components is quite limited in cell phones,PDAs, portable computers, and many other products. As such, there is astrong drive to reduce the height of the packaged microelectronic deviceand the surface area or “footprint” of the microelectronic device on aprinted circuit board. Reducing the size of the microelectronic deviceis difficult because high-performance microelectronic devices generallyhave more bond-pads, which result in larger ball-grid arrays and thuslarger footprints.

Image sensor dies present additional packaging problems. Image sensordies include an active area that is responsive to light or otherelectromagnetic radiation. In packaging, it is important to form a coverthat protects the active area without obstructing or distorting thepassage of light or other electromagnetic radiation to the active area.One existing method for packaging an image sensor die includes placingthe die in a recess of a ceramic substrate and attaching a glass windowto the substrate over the active area. The window is hermetically sealedto the substrate to enclose the image sensor die. A vacuum pumptypically removes air from the gap between the image sensor die and theglass window. An inert gas can then be injected into the gap between theimage sensor die and the glass window.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,197 discloses another existing method for packagingimage sensor dies by attaching and wire-bonding an array of image sensordies to a carrier substrate. Next, a molded window array is placed overthe image sensor dies. The molded window array includes sidewalls thatare attached to the carrier substrate between the wire-bonds of adjacentdies and windows that extend between the sidewalls over correspondingdies. The substrate and the attached window array are then cut to form aplurality of individual image sensor packages.

One drawback of packaging image sensor dies in accordance with theabove-mentioned methods is that the packaged image sensor dies arerelatively bulky and, accordingly, use more space on a circuit board orother external device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate various stages in a method of packaging a pluralityof microelectronic devices in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronicdevices after attaching a plurality of radiation responsive dies to asupport member.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronicdevices after wire-bonding the radiation responsive dies to the supportmember and forming a barrier on the support member.

FIG. 3A is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronicdevices after attaching a plurality of radiation transmissive windows tothe barrier.

FIG. 3B is a schematic top plan view of the microelectronic devices ofFIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a plurality ofmicroelectronic devices in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate various stages in a method of packaging aplurality of microelectronic devices in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a plurality ofmicroelectronic devices after attaching a plurality of radiationresponsive dies to a support member.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronicdevices after wire-bonding the dies to the support member and forming abarrier on the support member.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate various stages in a method of packaging aplurality of microelectronic devices in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronicdevices after attaching and wire-bonding a plurality of radiationresponsive dies to a support member.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronicdevices after forming a barrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A. Overview

The following description is directed toward microelectronic devices andmethods of packaging microelectronic devices. Many specific details ofseveral embodiments are described below with reference tomicroelectronic devices having radiation responsive dies to provide athorough understanding of such embodiments. The term “radiationresponsive” is used throughout to encompass devices sensitive to variouswavelengths of light and/or other forms of radiation, including, but notlimited to, charged coupled devices (CCD), complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor (CMOS) image sensors, EPROM's, and photodiodes, as well aslight-emitting devices including semiconductor lasers and light-emittingdiodes. The present invention, however, can be practiced using othertypes of microelectronic devices and/or microelectromechanical devices.Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the inventionmay have additional embodiments, or that the invention may be practicedwithout several of the details described below.

Several aspects of the invention are directed to methods of packagingmicroelectronic devices. In one embodiment, a method includes placing aplurality of singulated radiation responsive dies on a support member,electrically connecting circuitry of the radiation responsive dies tocontacts of the support member, and forming a barrier on the supportmember between adjacent radiation responsive dies without an adhesiveattaching the barrier to the support member. The barrier is formed onthe support member after electrically connecting the circuitry of thedies to the contacts of the support member. In one aspect of thisembodiment, forming the barrier includes dispensing a flowable materialonto the support member. The method can further include attaching aradiation transmissive window over an active area of a correspondingdie. The window can be attached to the barrier with or without anadhesive. Alternatively, the window can be placed on the active area onthe corresponding die before the barrier is formed. In another aspect ofthis embodiment, electrically connecting the circuitry of the dies tothe contacts of the support member includes wire-bonding the dies to thesupport member.

In another embodiment, a method includes providing a plurality ofsingulated radiation responsive dies, coupling the individual radiationresponsive dies to a support member, wire-bonding the radiationresponsive dies to the support member, forming a barrier betweenadjacent radiation responsive dies that encapsulates at least a portionof wire-bonds on adjacent dies, and attaching a plurality of radiationtransmissive windows to the barrier and/or the corresponding dies. Thedies include an active area responsive to radiation. In one aspect ofthis embodiment, forming the barrier includes encapsulating a portion ofthe radiation responsive dies.

Another aspect of the invention is directed to microelectronic devices.In one embodiment, a plurality of microelectronic devices include asupport member, a plurality of radiation responsive dies attached to thesupport member, a plurality of wire-bonds electrically coupling theradiation responsive dies to the support member, a barrier attached tothe support member without an adhesive at a location between theradiation responsive dies, and a plurality of radiation transmissivewindows attached to the barrier. The radiation responsive dies have anactive area, and the windows cover corresponding active areas. Thewindows can be attached to the corresponding active areas or spacedapart from the dies by a gap. The barrier includes barrier portions thatat least partially encapsulate the wire-bonds of corresponding pairs ofadjacent radiation responsive dies. In one aspect of this embodiment,the barrier encapsulates a portion of the radiation responsive dies.

B. Embodiments of Methods for Packaging Microelectronic Devices

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate various stages in a method of packaging a pluralityof microelectronic devices 100 (identified individually as 100 a-c) inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention. For example, FIG. 1 isa schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronic devices 100including a plurality of radiation responsive dies 110 (identifiedindividually as 110 a-c) and a support member 160 carrying the dies 110.The radiation responsive dies 110 a-c are arranged in a desired array onthe support member 160. The radiation responsive die 110 a includes afirst side 112 and a second side 114 opposite the first side 112. Thesecond side 114 is generally attached securely to the support member160. The die 110 a, for example, can be attached to the support member160 with an adhesive film, an epoxy, or another suitable material. Thedie 110 a further includes a plurality of bond-pads 118 on the firstside 112, an active area 120 on the first side 112, and an integratedcircuit 116 (shown schematically) electrically coupled to the activearea 120 and the bond-pads 118. The dies 110 b and 110 c can have thesame structure as the die 110 a, but in some embodiments, the dies 110a-c can have different features to perform different functions.

The support member 160 can be a lead frame or a substrate such as aprinted circuit board to carry the radiation responsive dies 110. In theillustrated embodiment, the support member 160 includes a first side 162having a plurality of contacts 166 and a second side 164 having aplurality of pads 168. The contacts 166 can be arranged in arrays forattachment to the corresponding bond-pads 118 on the dies 110, and thepads 168 can be arranged in arrays for attachment to a plurality ofelectrical couplers (e.g., solder balls). The support member 160 furtherincludes a plurality of traces 167 that electrically couple the contacts166 to the corresponding pads 168.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronicdevices 100 after wire-bonding the radiation responsive dies 110 to thesupport member 160 and forming a barrier 130 (portions of which areidentified individually as 130 a-d) on the support member 160. Afterattaching the radiation responsive dies 110 to the support member 160, aplurality of wire-bonds 122 are formed to electrically couple the dies110 to the support member 160. More specifically, the wire-bonds 122include a proximal portion 123 coupled to the bond-pads 118 of the dies110 and a distal portion 124 coupled to the contacts 166 of the supportmember 160. Accordingly, the integrated circuit 116 of each die 110 canbe electrically coupled to corresponding pads 168.

After wire-bonding, the barrier 130 is formed on the support member 160to protect the dies 110 from the external environment and to provide asupport for a plurality of radiation transmissive windows (FIG. 3). Thebarrier 130 can be a flowable material that is dispensed onto thesupport member 160 through a needle or another suitable process.Suitable materials include epoxy and other similar materials, such asthose made by Ablestik Laboratories of Rancho Dominguez, Calif., andHenkel Loctite Corporation of Rocky Hill, Conn. In other embodiments,the barrier 130 can be formed on the support member 160 by screenprinting, molding, stenciling, or other processes. The barrier materialcan be selected so that the barrier 130 bonds to the support member 160without the use of an adhesive. In other embodiments, the barrier 130can be attached to the support member 160 with an adhesive.

The barrier portions 130 a-d have a width W₁ less than a distance D₁between the active areas 120 of adjacent dies 110 so that the barrier130 does not cover the active areas 120. More specifically, in theillustrated embodiment, the barrier 130 covers and encapsulates thedistal portion 124 of the wire-bonds 122. In other embodiments, such asthose described below with reference to FIGS. 4, 6, and 8, the barrier130 also partially covers a portion of the dies 110 and the proximalportion 123 of the wire-bonds 122. In the illustrated embodiment, thebarrier portions 130 a-d have a height Hi greater than a height H₂ ofthe wire-bonds 122 to support the windows (FIG. 3) over the wire-bonds122. In other embodiments, such as those described below with referenceto FIGS. 7 and 8, the height H₁ of the barrier portions 130 a-d can beless than or equal to the height H₂ of the wire-bonds 122.

FIG. 3A is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronicdevices 100 after attaching a plurality of radiation transmissivewindows 140 (identified individually as 140 a-c) to the barrier 130, andFIG. 3B is a schematic top plan view of the microelectronic devices 100.Referring to both FIGS. 3A and 3B, in this embodiment, the windows 140are attached between corresponding barrier portions 130 to enclosecorresponding radiation responsive dies 110. For example, a first window140 a includes a first edge 142 a attached to a first barrier portion130 a, a second edge 142 b attached to a second barrier portion 130 b, athird edge 142 c attached to a fifth barrier portion 130 e, and a fourthedge 142 d attached to a sixth barrier portion 130 f. The windows 140therefore extend over the active area 120 of the corresponding dies 110.The windows 140 are made of a transmissive material such as glass topermit light and/or other electromagnetic radiation to pass through.

The windows 140 can be attached to the barrier 130 by exerting a force F(FIG. 3A) to move the edges 142 a-d of the windows 140 into the flowablebarrier material. In other embodiments, such as the embodiment describedbelow with reference to FIG. 4, the windows 140 can be attached to thebarrier 130 with an adhesive. Each window 140 is oriented generallyparallel to the corresponding die 110 so that a gap G (FIG. 3A) betweenthe window 140 and the active area 120 is generally consistent acrossthe first side 112 of the die 110. In one embodiment, the gap G can begreater than or equal to 10 microns; alternatively, in otherembodiments, such as those described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and6, the gap G can be less than 10 microns. In additional embodiments, themicroelectronic devices 100 can be hermetically sealed and/or thedevices 100 can include a sealant between the edges 142 a-d of thewindows 140 and the barrier 130. In other embodiments, a single unitarywindow can be attached to the barrier portions 1 30 a-d and coverseveral of the dies 110.

After attaching the windows 140 to the barrier 130, the barrier 130 canbe cured to harden the material and thereby secure the windows 140 overthe dies 110. Moreover, in the illustrated embodiment, a plurality ofelectrical couplers 150 can be deposited or formed on corresponding pads168 of the support member 160 so that the microelectronic devices 100can be attached to external devices. After curing the barrier 130 andforming the electrical couplers 150, the barrier 130 and the supportmember 160 can be cut along lines A₁-A₁ by scribing, sawing, or anothersuitable process to singulate the microelectronic devices 100.

One feature of the microelectronic devices 100 of the illustratedembodiment is that the barrier 130 encapsulates the distal portion 124of the wire-bonds 122. An advantage of this feature is that the size ofthe microelectronic devices 100 is reduced because the barrier portions130 a-d are positioned closer to the respective dies 110. For example,in the illustrated embodiment, the microelectronic devices 100 have awidth W₂ 1.2 times greater than a width W₃ of the dies 110. In contrast,in prior art microelectronic devices, the barrier portions are attachedoutside of the distal portion of the wire-bonds and do not encapsulate aportion of the wire-bonds. Consequently, the prior art microelectronicdevices are larger than the microelectronic devices 100 of theillustrated embodiment. Larger microelectronic devices have largerfootprints and therefore use more space on printed circuit boards orother substrates in cell phones, PDAs, computers, and other products.

C. Other Embodiments of Methods for Packaging Microelectronic Devices

FIG. 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a plurality ofmicroelectronic devices 200 in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention. The microelectronic devices 200 can be generally similar tothe microelectronic devices 100 described above with reference to FIGS.1-3. For example, the microelectronic devices 200 include a plurality ofradiation responsive dies 110 attached and wire-bonded to a supportmember 160. After the dies 110 are attached and wire-bonded to thesupport member 160, a barrier 230 is formed between the dies 110. Thebarrier 230 encapsulates the wire-bonds 122 and covers a portion of thedies 110, but it does not cover the active area 120 of the dies 110. Theactive areas 120 can accordingly receive electromagnetic radiationwithout interference or obstruction. In other embodiments, the barrier230 may not completely encapsulate the wire-bonds 122. For example, thebarrier 230 may encapsulate the distal portion 124 of the wire-bonds 122and cover a portion of the dies 110, but may not encapsulate theproximal portion 123 of the wire-bonds 122.

After forming the barrier 230, a plurality of radiation transmissivewindows 240 are attached to the barrier 230 over the active area 120 ofcorresponding dies 110. In the illustrated embodiment, an adhesive 248bonds first and second edges 242 a-b of the windows 240 to the barrierportions 230. The adhesive 248 can be a UV- or thermo-curable epoxy orother suitable material. In other embodiments, such as the embodimentdescribed above with reference to FIGS. 1-3, the windows 240 can beattached to the barrier 230 without an adhesive 248, which eliminates astep in the manufacturing process. The barrier 230 can be cured beforeand/or after the windows 240 are attached. For example, in oneembodiment, the barrier 230 is partially cured to a B-stage or tackystate before the windows 240 are attached and then fully cured afterattachment. In other embodiments, the barrier 230 may be cured onlyafter the windows 240 are attached.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate various stages in a method for packaging aplurality of microelectronic devices 300 in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention. For example, FIG. 5 is a schematic sidecross-sectional view of a plurality of radiation responsive dies 110attached to a support member 160. After attachment, a plurality ofradiation transmissive windows 340 are placed on the active area 120 ofcorresponding dies 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the windows 340are placed on the die 110 without an adhesive attaching the windows 340and the first side 112 of the dies 110. In other embodiments, anadhesive can attach the windows 340 to the corresponding dies 110. Forexample, an adhesive can be disposed between the windows 340 and thefirst side 112 of the dies 110 such that the adhesive circumscribes theactive area 120. Alternatively, the adhesive can be disposed between thewindows 340 and the dies 110 across the active area 120.

In any of these embodiments, the adhesive can be an optical gradematerial with a high transparency and a uniform mass density to allowmaximum light transmission. The adhesive can also be a highly purematerial to minimize contamination and thereby reduce or eliminate theloss of images and/or light scattering. In one such embodiment, thepixels in the active area 120 are approximately 3 microns or smaller andthe adhesive has an index of refraction of approximately 1.4 or less.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronicdevices 300 after wire-bonding the dies 110 to the support member 160and forming a barrier 330 on the support member 160. After the windows340 have been placed on the first side 112 of the dies 110, the dies 110are wire-bonded to the support member 160. Alternatively, the windows340 can be placed on the dies 110 before wire-bonding. After placing thewindows 340 and wire-bonding, the barrier 330 is formed on the supportmember 160 between the dies 110. In the illustrated embodiment, thebarrier portions 330 extend between the windows 340 of adjacent dies110. For example, a first barrier portion 330 a extends between a secondedge 342 b of a first window 340 a and a first edge 342 a of a secondwindow 340 b. The barrier portions 330 accordingly encapsulate thewire-bonds 122 and cover portions of the dies 110. The barrier 330 cansubsequently be cured to secure the windows 340 over the active area 120of the corresponding dies 110.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate various stages in a method of packaging aplurality of microelectronic devices 400 in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention. For example, FIG. 7 is a schematic sidecross-sectional view of the microelectronic-devices 400 after attachingand wire-bonding a plurality of radiation responsive dies 110 to asupport member 160. After wire-bonding, a plurality of radiationtransmissive windows 440 are placed on the wire-bonds 122. Morespecifically, the windows 440 include a first portion 443 supported bycorresponding first wire-bonds 122 a and a second portion 444 supportedby corresponding second wire-bonds 122 b. In the illustrated embodiment,an adhesive 448 is disposed between the windows 440 and the dies 110.The adhesive 448 can be similar to the adhesive described above withreference to FIG. 5. The adhesive 448 can be dispensed onto a bottomsurface 446 of the windows 440 and/or the first side 112 of the dies 110before the windows 440 are placed onto the wire-bonds 122.Alternatively, the microelectronic devices 400 may not include anadhesive, or the adhesive 448 can be arranged so that it circumscribesthe active area 120 on the dies 110 and forms a chamber between thewindows 440 and the dies 110.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the microelectronicdevices 400 after forming a barrier 430. After the windows 440 areplaced on the wire-bonds 122, the barrier 430 is formed on the supportmember 160 between the dies 110. Portions of the barrier 430 can wickinto the gap between the windows 440 and the dies 110 such that thebarrier 430 encapsulates the wire-bonds 122. In other embodiments, thebarrier 430 may not completely encapsulate the wire-bonds 122. Inadditional embodiments, the barrier 430 can be formed on the supportmember 160 before the windows 440 are placed on the wire-bonds 122. Inany of these embodiments, the barrier 430 can be subsequently cured tosecure the windows 440 over the active area 120 of the dies 110.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments ofthe invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration,but that various modifications may be made without deviating from thespirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is notlimited, except as by the appended claims.

1. A method of packaging microelectronic devices, the method comprising: placing a plurality of singulated radiation responsive dies on a support member; electrically connecting circuitry of the radiation responsive dies to contacts of the support member; and forming a barrier on the support member between adjacent radiation responsive dies without an adhesive attaching the barrier to the support member after electrically connecting the circuitry of the dies to the contacts of the support member.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein: electrically connecting circuitry of the dies to contacts of the support member comprises wire-bonding the dies to the support member; and forming the barrier comprises encapsulating at least a portion of the wire-bonds.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein: electrically connecting circuitry of the dies to contacts of the support member comprises wire-bonding the dies to the support member; and forming the barrier comprises encapsulating at least a portion of the wire-bonds and a portion of the radiation responsive dies.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the barrier comprises dispensing a flowable material onto the support member.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation responsive dies include an active area, and wherein the method further comprises attaching a radiation transmissive window to the barrier over a corresponding active area.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation responsive dies include an active area, and wherein the method further comprises attaching a plurality of radiation transmissive windows to corresponding active areas before forming the barrier on the support member.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein: the radiation responsive dies include an active area; forming the barrier on the support member comprises dispensing a flowable material onto the support member between adjacent radiation responsive dies without obscuring the active area of the dies; and the method further comprises attaching radiation transmissive windows to the flowable material such that the windows are individually juxtaposed to corresponding active areas.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation responsive dies include an active area, and wherein the method further comprises: at least partially curing the barrier; and attaching a plurality of radiation transmissive windows to the barrier with the windows covering corresponding active areas after at least partially curing the barrier.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein: the radiation responsive dies include an active area; electrically connecting circuitry of the dies to contacts of the support member comprises wire-bonding the dies to the support member; and the method further comprises placing a plurality of radiation transmissive windows on corresponding wire-bonds so that the windows cover corresponding active areas before forming the barrier.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation responsive dies include complementary metal-oxide semiconductor image sensors.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation responsive dies include optically responsive active areas.
 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching a plurality of radiation transmissive windows to the barrier and/or corresponding dies after placing the dies on the support member.
 13. The method of claim 1 wherein: the radiation responsive dies comprise a first die and a second die adjacent to the first die; electrically connecting circuitry of the dies to contacts of the support member comprises wire-bonding the dies to the support member; and forming the barrier on the support member comprises forming a barrier portion between the first die and the second die, the barrier portion encapsulating at least a portion of the wire-bonds of the first die and at least a portion of the wire-bonds of the second die.
 14. A method of packaging microelectronic devices, the method comprising: providing a plurality of singulated radiation responsive dies, the radiation responsive dies including an active area responsive to radiation transmitted from an external source; coupling the individual radiation responsive dies to a support member; electrically coupling circuitry of the radiation responsive dies to contacts of the support member; forming a barrier between adjacent radiation responsive dies; and attaching a plurality of radiation transmissive windows to the barrier and/or the corresponding dies.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein forming the barrier comprises encapsulating a portion of the radiation responsive dies.
 16. The method of claim 14 wherein forming the barrier comprises dispensing a flowable material onto the support member.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein attaching the radiation transmissive windows occurs after coupling the dies to the support member.
 18. The method of claim 14 wherein: the radiation responsive dies comprise a first die and a second die adjacent to the first die; electrically connecting circuitry of the dies to contacts of the support member comprises wire-bonding the dies to the support member; and forming the barrier comprises forming a barrier portion between the first die and the second die, the barrier portion encapsulating at least a portion of the wire-bonds of the first die and at least a portion of the wire-bonds of the second die.
 19. The method of claim 14, further comprising at least partially curing the barrier before attaching the radiation transmissive windows to the barrier.
 20. The method of claim 14 wherein: electrically connecting circuitry of the dies to contacts of the support member comprises wire-bonding the dies to the support member; and forming the barrier occurs after wire-bonding the radiation responsive dies to the support member.
 21. A method of packaging microelectronic devices, the method comprising: coupling a plurality of singulated radiation responsive dies to a support member, the radiation responsive dies including an active area; wire-bonding the radiation responsive dies to the support member; forming a barrier between adjacent radiation responsive dies; and attaching a radiation transmissive window to the barrier after forming the barrier between adjacent dies, the window covering the active area of the corresponding die.
 22. The method of claim 21 wherein forming the barrier comprises encapsulating at least a portion of the wire-bonds.
 23. The method of claim 21 wherein forming the barrier occurs after wire-bonding the radiation responsive dies to the support member.
 24. The method of claim 21 wherein forming the barrier comprises dispensing a flowable material onto the support member.
 25. The method of claim 21 wherein: forming the barrier comprises dispensing a flowable material onto the support member; and attaching the radiation transmissive window comprises moving the radiation transmissive window into the flowable material.
 26. The method of claim 21, further comprising: curing the barrier after attaching the radiation transmissive window; and cutting the support member and the barrier to separate the microelectronic devices from each other.
 27. A method of packaging microelectronic devices, the method comprising: providing a plurality of singulated radiation responsive dies, the radiation responsive dies having a first side with an active area and a second side opposite the first side; coupling the individual radiation responsive dies to a support member with the second side facing the support member; wire-bonding the radiation responsive dies to the support member; positioning a plurality of radiation transmissive windows over corresponding active areas after wire-bonding the dies to the support member; and forming a barrier between adjacent radiation responsive dies after positioning the radiation transmissive windows.
 28. The method of claim 27 wherein forming the barrier comprises encapsulating at least a portion of the wire-bonds.
 29. The method of claim 27 wherein forming the barrier comprises dispensing a flowable material onto the support member.
 30. The method of claim 27 wherein positioning the windows comprises attaching the windows to the corresponding active areas.
 31. The method of claim 27 wherein: positioning the windows comprises disposing the windows over the corresponding active areas without attaching the windows to the active areas; and forming the barrier comprises dispensing the barrier at least proximate to the windows to secure the windows over the corresponding active areas.
 32. The method of claim 27 wherein: positioning the windows comprises disposing the windows on corresponding wire-bonds over the corresponding active areas so that the wire-bonds support the windows; and forming the barrier comprises dispensing the barrier at least proximate to the windows to secure the windows over the corresponding active areas.
 33. A plurality of microelectronic devices, comprising: a support member; a plurality of radiation responsive dies attached to the support member, the radiation responsive dies having an active area; a plurality of wire-bonds electrically coupling the radiation responsive dies to the support member; a barrier attached without an adhesive to the support member between adjacent radiation responsive dies, the barrier including barrier portions that at least partially encapsulate the wire-bonds of corresponding pairs of adjacent radiation responsive dies; and a plurality of radiation transmissive windows attached to the barrier and covering corresponding active areas.
 34. The microelectronic devices of claim 33 wherein the barrier encapsulates a portion of the radiation responsive dies.
 35. The microelectronic devices of claim 33 wherein the support member comprises a substrate.
 36. The microelectronic devices of claim 33 wherein the windows are attached to the corresponding active areas.
 37. The microelectronic devices of claim 33 wherein the windows are spaced apart from corresponding radiation responsive dies by a gap.
 38. The microelectronic devices of claim 33 wherein the radiation responsive dies comprise complementary metal-oxide semiconductor image sensors.
 39. The microelectronic devices of claim 33 wherein the active areas are optically responsive.
 40. A plurality of microelectronic devices, comprising: a support member; a first radiation responsive die and a second radiation responsive die adjacent to the first radiation responsive die, the first and second radiation responsive dies being attached to the support member and having an active area; a plurality of wire-bonds electrically coupling the first and second radiation responsive dies to the support member; a barrier at least substantially surrounding the perimeters of the first and second radiation responsive dies, the barrier including a barrier portion that encapsulates at least a portion of the wire-bonds of the first radiation responsive die and at least a portion of the wire-bonds of the second radiation responsive die; and a radiation transmissive window coupled to the barrier and positioned over the active area of the first and/or second radiation responsive die.
 41. The microelectronic devices of claim 40 wherein the barrier encapsulates a portion of the first and/or second radiation responsive die.
 42. The microelectronic devices of claim 40 wherein the support member comprises a substrate.
 43. The microelectronic devices of claim 40 wherein the window is attached to the active area of the first and/or second radiation responsive die.
 44. The microelectronic devices of claim 40 wherein the window is spaced apart from the active area of the first and/or second radiation responsive die by a gap.
 45. The microelectronic devices of claim 40 wherein the window is attached to the barrier with an adhesive. 